Hooah!?

Ok, so although most may know the news, Chris got his official notification of where he sits on the ROTC OML ( love the Army and acronyms ).

The verdict? Active duty.

What's next? Who the heck knows. Well in theory the next step is to find out where he will serve within the Army. It looks like Armour is #1, and Chemical Corps and some other stuff that he doesn't even worry about because as he puts it, if he doesn't get Armour then they will for sure stick him in Chem, so the rest is just formality of filling in the blanks on the wish sheet.

In theory we will know for sure where he goes by the end of the month. Chris says I am supposed to get over my "been there, ready to have things all jacked up, done that" additude so that I will be more positive. I struggle.

In my head I am waiting to be the ONE cade that got left off the list... Cadet WHO?
Oh he gets the left overs then, cuz we already filled the good stuff...

Sigh.

Sometime in February (or later....or much much MUCH later) we should know where we are moving to and when. Chris volunteered for working LDAC (see what I mean about acromyms) and hopefully that will put us on orders right after graduation ( May 15th ...cough cough save the date). He will have to attend BOLC (?)..officers training for his branch, and then off we go into the next three contract bound years. Hope it is a good one.

What scares me is Chris says there are people that don't get their duty station notification until after BOLC and that just MIGHT kill me. Or I might have to kill someone. Either way it won't be pretty.

Summer vacation. Day # Whateva....

I really do like Summer. We are the best of friends. But even friends have partings of ways sometimes. Sometimes for good, sometimes just for a breather. I was starting to think of Summer as a not so good friend to kick to the curb and snub eternally.

My summer has consisted of the dh leaving for SE Idaho to work since no one wants to hire a guy for the summer from June to August (and nix the July in the middle so he can go to LDAC). My parents took him on at the farm and he has been gone working. Normally that would be an awesome opportunity to go with him and get a little vacay.

Well not so much this year. Savannah has summer school and we were working around it. But THEN I got Braden's report card. And since this is a family blog and I have some compassion (although not much is left at this moment) I won't tell his grades. I will say that just under half of his classes ryme with explitives that start with F. Yup. F's. Plural. Summer school starts for him July 9th.

But before all the rest of the "fun" for the summer hits, Chris and I went to the farm to pick up Braden for Scout camp and attended a family reunion at the same time.
We made it to the breakfast and then played some hookie on Palisades until the evening pig roast and auction.

And it was overcast. I forgot sunblock til much later in the day.
I am red.
Pink?
Magenta?
blisters.

~* Day One *~

I ~*love*~ Summer. I love no schedules, and popsicles. I love sunglasses and driving with the radio up loud to music I am WAY too old to be listening too. I like to see parades and go to family reunions. I really love having my kids out of school, slightly sunburnt and feeling lazy. It is nice to have them around.

Except this morning.

Savannah has summer school and was off with the sunrise to the highschool. She was terrified, but determined to handle it. She did. Soon after I hear the sound of a harmonica (keep in mind that it is seven thirty IN THE MORNING). "Colton stop playing the harmonica, your going to wake Olivia up!" Quiet resumes, and I fall asleep enjoying the nothingness of a summer morning then another noise..."Colton stop playing that recorder your going to wake your sister!" and quiet falls once again. Next thing I know a showered and dressed Colton is hovering over my bed. My half awake eyes focus on his face and he whispers..."MOM I'm bored!!!" WELCOME SUMMER!!!

4th of July { glitch }

So after the 4th of July parade, I in all my wisdom-ocity talked my husband into going into Idaho Falls to hit the Aeropostale sale {$5.00 tee shirts ARE you kidding?!} to pick up some back to school clothes for Savannah. {AND she had her own money *bOnUs*}

Well, we needed to have her try things on, and Oliva a little past her nap got a little restless {understandable}. So I put her into the dressing room with Savannah. Well as sometimes happens, a little thumb was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and Olivia got smashed in the hinges. She started to cry {of course} and Chris scooped her up and off he went to the bathroom to console her, and calm her down while we finished up.

The whole time, I am thinking a little pinched finger, she will calm down and we will continue on. Next thing I know as I help Savannah choose her last items Chris comes hauling into the store and announces that it IS TIME TO GO. Olivia is still crying. Strange, I think.

Well what happened as we looked at it closer, is her little finger popped like a grape! It split it right open. Upon inspection there was even blood spatter on the door. {horrible!} Those are some serious hinges in their doors!

The first thing Liv asked for was a good doctor. Second was a cool doctor, and third was pink stitches. Right before going into the building she started crying again, because she was sure they were going to have to cut it off. After calming her down we took her in. {should have been in a panic as they triaged the next person that came in to go first because she was scared.....for stitches}.

Nearly 3 hours later....

5 stitches.
1 little thumb with a broken bone {split almost exactly in two length wise}
1 pink wrap
1 exhausted and hungry family
{she insisted on ice cream - we didn't argue}

She only needed a little tylenol and off she went. Kids are amazing! Stitches come out on the 14th.

4th of July

The 4th of July in Menan Idaho....

Walking the green belt with Dad.... Braden was off working, and Colton is is Missouri { I miss that kid!}

Ed Ryan on his tractor that has "snuck" over and plowed our snow many a time.....

Central Fire...

Bagley maybe? Couldn't see inside the cockpit....

Mitch Raymond {Dee was still trying to recover from his surgery}

Aunt Nola and her new husband Tim Hale in his latest project...

The South family {in the new toy }

Boyce's

Eckersell's funeral home

Oliva's broken thumb, and their new shades....

Before the fireworks started and after the bug spray!

Oliva and Ella

This is what happens when two little 3 year old darling girls decide that a US Army Humvee needs some "sprucing up"! They found a black sharpie marker and the rest is hIsToRy!!!

1000 Springs and Emigrant Canyon

We did some "toodleing" Thursday after Chris got out of class, went to 1000 springs, Emigrant Canyon {you can still see the wagon ruts} and Salmon Falls {where Indian tribes used to come one time a year and catch and dry a years supply of fish}.

There is also fossil deposits out there that we didn't have time to see, lots more day trips we chose, and learned about "melon gravel" the result of Bonneville Lake collapsing. Gigantic pieces of gravel that were torn and tumbled then left as water receded {canyons edge and in the dessert}.

It was fun! Wished the older kids could have been there, as they would have loved it.